Even though Jyotish astrology is considered to be soli-lunar, in many regards the Moon is considered the most vital piece of the karmic life map. The Moon shares crucial insights about our inner landscape, our internal realms. Here we navigate our feeling and emotional body experience- a very unique attribute of being a human.

The Moon (Chandra in Sanskrit) is the intelligence and intuition of each being. It is the nourisher of life, who offers us soma, divine nectar. The Moon represents the universal Ma and the Mother within, as well as our inner intelligence. The Sun is connected to our soul and the sheath that houses the soul, whereas the Moon is connected to the wisdom and intelligence within the soul.

In the Jyotish chart, the placement of the Moon will show how aligned the being is with sacred intuition. The Moon will share what nourishment is available to the being as well as how it will utilize its inner intelligence. In Vedic astrology, the Moon is given great importance and is of equal, if not more, importance than the Sun in many regards. For if the Sun is strong, but the Moon is weak, how will the soul be nurtured and supported?

Moon is intimately connected to the Mother, the nurturing quality of life. It shares the essential intelligence of life that gives us comfort, nourishment, emotional support, as well as our requirements for love and affection. The connection of Moon to our emotions and our psychological state is not by accident. After all our emotional body and its harmony is intimately connected to our relationship with prana, the life force. Feelings make for a joyful life or a challenging life and they move quickly- just like the Moon!

Our father plays a major role in our creation. In the Vedic understanding, he is the seed that sparks our life. However, it is the Moon’s qualities that are like the soil. Mother offers the womb, the nurturing and the container for the seed to grow. The Mother gives the vital ingredients for sustaining life it self. Without her, we will be lost, misguided and lack the ability to live life fully nourished. Our connection to Moon, to Ma, to mother, directly impacts our ability to live in harmony with life and feel the support and nurturing life has to offer.

How well are you able to be nourished? The Moon sign is the determining factor of our nourishment and wisdom. Assessing the Moon in your jyotish chart will share many important details about your inner wisdom, emotional body, the connection you have with your Mother and if you are able to receive the sacred wisdom of life. ﻿Have you been following along with my previous Jyotish Basics articles? Get your first lesson is here.﻿

Step #1: Identify Your Moon. First, notice where the Moon is located in your chart. The abbreviation is likely MO. What sign is it in? The Sign will share a lot about your Moon's disposition, but there are a few other factors to consider. What is the symbol of your Moon sign and the element that rules over it? What can you assess about your Moon with these details? Follow these guidelines for extra support. Step #2:

Who Rules Over Your Moon? The planetary influence upon your Moon sign is another vital piece of information. What is the planetary ruler of your Moon sign? No two planets express themselves the same way. A Mars ruled sign acts very differently than a Saturn ruled sign. What can you determine about your Moon sign based on its planetary ruler?

Putting it all together. It's time to combine all the layers now and derive some meaning from it all. What can you determine about your Moon sign based on all the previous steps? What type of emotional body wisdom are you aligned with and how do you seek your nourishment in life? Remember the Moon will support how you feel nourishment in your life. This is the inner wisdom and support that comes from your mother and the feminine powers within your family lineage. What gifts and resources are present? What challenges?

Aries: Mesha in Sanskrit, translates as its symbol, the ram. Qualities are leadership, pioneering. Need to work on flexibility, anger issues, “hitting one’s head against the wall”. Body parts are head, brain and nerves. Odd, Male, ruled by Mars. Pitta. Correlates to the number 1 in the chart.

Taurus: Vrshabha in Sanskrit, translates as its symbol, the bull. Qualities are strength and stability. Need to work on issues with being “bull headed”, stubborn and going beyond the material realms. Body part is neck, face and parts therein. Even, Female, ruled by Venus. Kapha. Correlates to the number 2 in the chart.

Gemini: Mithuna in Sanskrit, symbolized by a couple holding a mace and a lute. Translates as couple (male and female) or copulation, companion. Qualities are extremely creativity, communication and artistry. Need to work on issues of mental body and taking effective action steps. Body parts are arms and hands. Odd, Male, ruled by Mercury. Vata. Correlates to the number 3 in a chart.

Cancer: Karka translates as female crab in Sanskrit which is its symbol as well. Qualities are sensing and feeling, with depth and compassion, heart centered. Need to work directly with emotional body awareness, co-dependency issues, mother issues. Body parts are heart, breasts, chest. Even, Female, ruled by Moon. Kapha-vata. Correlates to the number 4 in a chart.

Leo: Simha translates as lion in Sanskrit, the symbol of Leo. Qualities are leadership, dominance, authority and power. Need to work on ego issues, needing authority and power, as well as father issues and ancestral issues. Body parts are stomach and abdomen. Odd, Male, ruled by the Sun. Pitta. Correlates to the number 5 in a chart.

Virgo: Kanya means a girl, a virgin or daughter in Sanskrit. It is symbolized by a woman in a boat holding grains and fire in her hands. Qualities are purity, cleanliness and perfection, creative, entrepreneurial. Need to work on the critic and inner judge, overly puritanical beliefs. Body parts are hips, loins, buttocks. Even, female, ruled by Mercury. Vata-kapha. Correlates to the number 6 in a chart.

Libra: Tula means the balancing scales in Sanskrit which is its symbol as well. Qualities are ability to see both sides of situations, good business skills, able to weigh and measure options, able to work with equality issues. Need to work with decisiveness, clarity and not swinging to extremes, going beyond the surface, as well as finding one’s own beliefs and ideals. Body parts are lower abdomen. Odd, Male, ruled by Venus. Vata-Kapha. Correlates to the number 7 in a chart.

Scorpio: Vrschika means Scorpion in Sanskrit which is also its symbol. Qualities are depth, going beyond the surface, occult and mystical knowledge, passion. Need to work with emotional body awareness, polarities and extremes, mother issues, one’s darkness and shadows. Body parts are genitals and anus. Even, Female, ruled by Mars and Ketu. Kapha-pitta. Correlates to the number 8 in a chart.

Sagittarius: Dhanu means bow in Sanskrit. The symbol of Sagittarius is a man holding a bow and arrow, the lower part of his body being that of a horse. Qualities are oriented towards seeking knowledge, wisdom and growth as well as spirituality. Need to work with being overly dogmatic, taking effective action steps, working with depth on the mental/emotional levels. Body part is thighs. Odd, Male, ruled by Jupiter. Pitta- Kapha. Correlates to the number 9 in a chart.

Capricorn: Makara translates as sea monster in Sanskrit which has a head of a deer or goat and the body of a crocodile, which is also its symbol. Qualities are hardworking, persevering, steady. Need to work with “doing less accomplishing more”, self care, not pushing so hard to get an outcome. Body part is knees. Even, Female, ruled by Saturn. Vata-kapha. Correlates to the number 10 in a chart.

Aquarius: Kumbha translates from Sanskrit as a vessel that holds water, a water pot. The symbol here is a man holding a pot. Qualities are ingenuity, out of the box approach to life, oriented towards gaining and acquiring. Need to work with balancing both shadow and light, working with shadow parts, finding the silver lining and excessive drive to acquire. Body part is calves. Odd, Male, Saturn and Rahu. Vata. Correlates to the number 11 in a chart.

Pisces: Mina translates from Sanskrit as relating to the ocean and large expanses of water. The symbol here is two fish tied together with their heads and tails in opposite directions. Qualities are expansiveness, universality and deep compassion for others with strong spiritual inclinations. Need to work on emotional body issues, grounding expansiveness into clear goals and action steps, actualizing dreams. Body part is feet. Even, Female, ruled by Jupiter. Kapha. Correlates to the number 12 in a chart.